The UCPD. Giving Back to the Community.

Community Involvement

14th Annual Mystic Irish Parade

Members of the UConn Police Department marched again this year in the 14th Annual Mystic Irish Parade held on Sunday, March 19th.

The parade is Mystic’s largest single day event, with 30,000 plus spectators and 2,000 plus marchers who march from the Mystic Seaport to downtown Mystic.

HuskyThon 2017

On Saturday, February 18th, members of the UCPD were proud to support the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity with their sponsor child, Braden, who hopes to be a police officer one day!

The 2016-17 HuskyTHON fundraiser, an 18-hour dance marathon, raised more than $836,174 for the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Nearly 2,000 students took part in the event.

‘Stuff A Cruiser’ Food Drive

On Sunday, November 13th, the UCPD Community Outreach Unit partnered with the UConn Skydiving Club to host a food drive to benefit the Mansfield Food Pantry and Covenant Soup Kitchen. Officer Bard, the UConn Skydiving Club advisor, helped the students coordinate the event.

2016 Veterans Day Ceremony

On Friday, November 11th, the University held its annual Veterans Day Ceremony. The ceremony was held at the Veterans Ultimate Sacrifice Memorial located on the Great Lawn in front of Wilbur Cross. While the UCPD Honor Guard presented colors, members of the UConn Police and Fire Departments stood proudly in attendance to honor our veterans, past and present, who have bravely served our country.

UConn Honors Its Heroes In Blue

This summer, in a place where champions are made at the University of Connecticut, Gampel Pavilion was the place where heroes in blue were recognized at the UConn Police and Fire Departments 2016 Awards Ceremony, hosted by the UConn Division of Public Safety.

“We work as a team in many incidents. Police, fire and dispatch response is critical to what we do,” said UConn Interim Police Chief and Director of Public Safety Hans Rhynhart, adding about 200 family members and friends came to the ceremony which the Division holds about every two to three years.

Law Enforcement Day at Channel 3 Kids Camp

On August 4th, UConn police officers participated in the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association’s ‘Law Enforcement Day’ at Channel 3 Kids Camp, a daylong event bringing youth and police together. This 8th Annual Law Enforcement Day was designed to foster positive interaction between police and youth in an effort to build strong public safety relationships.

Campers were able to interact with Law Enforcement Officers and experience police equipment up close and personal. Campers were allowed to climb in and out of cruisers, motorcycles, Hummers, Bearcats, crime scene vans and other specialized vehicles and watch demonstrations of K-9s from around the State. For the first time, many campers met officers from across Connecticut, bringing lasting positive relationships home when they left camp.

Alcohol Safety and Awareness

The UConn Police Department strives to develop relationships and communication pathways with all members of the community. To that end, the Community Outreach Unit, through its Bright Future campaign, recently held an Alcohol Safety and Awareness event for members of the University’s ConnCAP program.

ConnCAP is an intensive, year-round academic program whose mission is to assist students from Hartford and Windham, grades 9-12, in the successful completion of high school and prepare them for post-secondary education. The Community Outreach Unit has been working with ConnCAP to develop learning opportunities and create a dialogue between ConnCAP participants and police.

Camp Courant

On July 14th, UConn Police personnel participated in the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association Law Enforcement Day at Camp Courant in Farmington. As the photographs show, the children and officers had a great day.

K-9 Olympics

The Connecticut Police K-9 Olympics was held on July 16th at the University of Connecticut, marking 25 years for the annual event. The event was well attended and a great success thanks to the many volunteers and their family members. As in years past, money raised through the sale of shirts and food, as well as donations, will be given to local charities.

Each year, the Connecticut Child Identification Program (CTCHIP) runs a booth at the K-9 Olympics. This program is a comprehensive child identification tool designed to give families a measure of protection against the ever increasing problem of missing children.

Torch Run For Special Olympics

On Thursday, June 9th, men and women from UConn’s Police Department joined thousands of Connecticut law enforcement officers to run the Special Olympics Torch Run. The three-day event began on Wednesday, June 8th in Old Lyme, covering over 500 miles and crossing through more than 100 cities and towns, including Storrs, before concluding at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven. The goal was to raise $500,000 in support of Special Olympics.

Each year, more than 85,000 law enforcement officers worldwide take part in the run, which carries the “flame of hope” to the opening ceremony.